Books › The gravity of us
The gravity of us
352 pages
A swoony, high-stakes queer romance about finding your anchor when the whole world is watching.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into the bright, high-pressure glare of a reality television set, only to find a quiet, tender oasis just off-camera. The narrative moves at a brisk, engaging clip, driven by the protagonist's ambitious, very-online voice and the relentless momentum of a national media circus. Despite the high-stakes backdrop of a Mars mission and intense public scrutiny, the core of the story is remarkably sweet and grounded. It balances a wry, slightly cynical attitude toward the media with an earnest, swoony exploration of first love. The prose is accessible and conversational, making it incredibly easy to devour. It will thoroughly delight readers who crave low-angst queer romances where ambitious teens find their voices and each other under extraordinary pressure.
- Mood
- swoony
- high-stakes
- tender
- sun-drenched
- Tone
- earnest
- hopeful
- wry
- romantic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- first love under pressure · navigating public scrutiny · finding your voice · family expectations · media ethics
- The writing
- Accessible, conversational, and emotionally direct, perfectly capturing the voice of a very online, ambitious teen.
- The arc
- The protagonist moves from cynical displacement and frustration to vulnerable connection, ultimately finding the courage to speak his truth.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love sweet, low-angst queer YA romances set against unique, high-profile backdrops.
Content notes
- parental conflict
- anxiety
- media scrutiny
About the book
Cal wants to be a journalist, and he's already well underway with almost half a million followers on his FlashFame app and an upcoming internship at Buzzfeed. But his plans are derailed when his pilot father is selected for a highly-publicized NASA mission to Mars. Within days, Cal and his parents leave Brooklyn for hot and humid Houston.
With the entire nation desperate for any new information about the astronauts, Cal finds himself thrust in the middle of a media circus. Suddenly his life is more like a reality TV show, with his constantly bickering parents struggling with their roles as the "perfect American family."
And then Cal meets Leon, whose mother is another astronaut on the mission, and he finds himself falling head over heels--and fast. They become an oasis for each other amid the craziness of this whole experience. As their relationship grows, so does the frenzy surrounding the Mars mission, and when secrets are revealed about ulterior motives of the program, Cal must find a way to get to the truth without hurting the people who have become most important to him.
Description from Open Library.
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